Why being honest matters

I don’t hide being an avid Netflix-created content binger. Among those binges, I found this great documentary series called “Dirty Money”. It outlines many dishonest business practices being performed by many companies around the world. The impact of this dishonesty is not only felt by consumers but also the businesses themselves. It turns out that being dishonest can only mean a short-term gain. In the end, we all must pay the piper.

What we have to keep in mind, is that in business, time can slow down considerably. This “slowing down” effect that might leave you thinking that “all is well”, means that you are probably surviving on borrowed time. At some point, past dishonesty will come back “in the now” and will be a critical, time-consuming affair that may impact your business. This could be in the form of losing a valued client, a business partner or damage your credibility as a business.

Being tainted in that way, especially when a business is just starting out, might mean the end of the business. Because when honesty is at stake, there are rarely second chances. Having the courage to own the mistakes and taking responsibility for the dishonest behavior are only two ways to mitigate the results.

As the famous auto industrialist John F. Dodge said: “There is no Twilight Zone of honesty in business — a thing is right or it’s wrong — it’s black or it’s white”. Nothing grey about it.

I hope to see you at Startup Weekend Thessaloniki where we can talk about it more!

—————-This post was originally written by our Speaker and Prize provider Mr. Leontaris.